Winning ways

The forecast for 35-knot winds failed to materialise on a brilliantly sunny day on the Bay Thursday when John Winning's
Computer Associates won the three-lap buoy race by 15 seconds over Howie Hamlin's
West Marine to leave the top three contenders within three points after seven of nine races in the third annual 18 Skiff International Regatta.

The fleet returned to the beach to await the change-of-pace Bridge to Bridge Race late in the afternoon - a downwind contest of five nautical miles from the Golden Gate to the Oakland Bay Bridge when they would be joined by kite boarders and windsurfers.

Hamlin, with Mike Martin and Rod Howell as crew, appeared to have a strong lead for the first half of the buoy race, sailed in a moderate breeze of 15 knots, but halfway down the second run he gybed to the left side of the course toward Angel Island, leaving the right side open to his Australian rivals.

Winning, sailing with Euan McNicol and Jack Young, said, "When he gybed away we were in a puff so we kept on going."

When they crossed near Alcatraz Island, the Aussies were in front, and they held their lead with some tight covering.

The third boat in contention was also Australian - Trevor Barnabas' red
Omega Smeg, with Trent Barnabas and Robert Greuter as crew. They had to return after crossing the starting line early but recovered nicely and even led Hamlin at the last windward mark.

The regatta is one of the class's three international events, along with the European International Championship and the JJ Giltinan Trophy Championship, the class's premier event contested annually in Australia since 1938.

Standings (after 7 of 9 races, one discard):

Pos

Boat Name

Skipper

Crew

Crew

R1

R2

R3

R4

R5

R6

R7

R8

Tot

1

Computer Associates

John Winning

Euan McNicol

Anthony Young

3

3

1

1

2

3

1

3

11

2

West Marine

Howard Hamlin

Mike Martin

Rod Howell

2

2

6

4

1

1

2

6

12

3

Omega Smeg

Trevor Barnabas

Trent Barnabas

Robert Greuter

1

1

3

2

4

4

3

4

14

4

Sunrise

Patrick Whitmarsh

Paul Allen

Chad Freitas

5

7

2

5

3

2

5

7

22

5

Fisher & Paykel

Grant Rollerson

Paul Williams

Glen Raffael

6

4

5

3

9

9

4

9

31

6

Vodka Cruiser

Dalton Bergen

Jeff Nelson

Kevin Richards

4

5

4

9

5

9

6

9

33

7

Canada 1

Fred Eaton

Dan Cunningham

Rob Patterson

9

9

8

6

6

9

7

9

45

8

Emery Worldwide

Dana Jones

Jon Bell

Campbell Rivers

9

6

7

7

9

9

8

9

46

Below: A brown pelican shows John Winning and his Computer Associates team the way to first place